Breakfast in Columbus: Katalina's Cafe Corner

Monday

For the most part, I'm big on greasy spoons, and your standard bacon-eggs-toast plate. For something a tad more special, I head to Katalina's.

Everything about this place is charming, from the carnival-esque red sign out front to a hand-chalked menu to a fun enameled self-serve water cooler. And the breakfast dishes themselves are deliciously quirky.

Just take the giggle-inducing Latin Pancake Balls ($8.95). Perfect for sweet tooths who aren't satiated by boring old hotcakes, these half-dozen donut-hole-like balls are filled with Nutella or strawberry preserves before being fried to golden brown and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Adding to the sugar buzz is a puddle of maple syrup for dipping and a pile of the cafe's amazing sweet-and-spicy bacon.

Or how about the Seuss-themed dish Green Eggs and Ham ($8.95)? Swear it's tastier than it sounds. You get two over-easy eggs drizzled in a basil pesto, some thinly sliced prosciutto, nice big parmesan shavings and some garlicky toast. It's a clever combo that'll leave you singing its praises-in rhyme form, of course.

Coffee alternative: Mexican Hot Chocolate

There's nothing wrong with coffee. But sometimes salty egg-and-cheese dishes scream for a sweeter drink companion. Katalina's hot chocolate with a kick (made with the beloved Mexican Abuelita chocolate drink mix and topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream) is a sugary shot of straight adrenaline that'll leave you on cloud nine.